Instant messaging stand to trigger texting fall
Analysts believe that Instant messaging applications for mobile devices, such as BlackBerry Messenger, are becoming so popular that use of text messages by 15-24 year olds will fall by a fifth in many large markets including the UK.
Analysts forecast that text, or SMS, volumes will drop by 20% in the next two years in regions including the UK, Indonesia, South Africa and Brazil, where BBM is particularly popular among teenagers and students. They have seen SMS usage fall among young people and the main driver is BlackBerry.
BBM usage has exploded in many countries in recent years, with volumes increasing 500%.
According to Research in Motion, more than 39 million people use BBM, although it is yet to take off significantly in the US.
Text messaging has been a cash cow for mobile operators in recent years but instant messaging services allow unlimited mobile chat without needing to pay for each transmission.
BBM is free on BlackBerry devices, even for “pay and go” users with no monthly contract, while other smartphone apps such as Beluga and WhatsApp use minimal amounts of data, and charge a small one-off fee.
Talking to some of the operators, BBM has certainly had an impact on their SMS revenue. It is predicted that instant messaging clients could hit SMS, although he has not seen any impact yet. Once it [SMS] starts to decline, it could continue to decline until it hits zero.
Operators could stand to benefit in some ways from instant messaging because BBM used their network more efficiently than SMS, saving operating costs, said RIM. BlackBerry users can now also use BBM to donate airtime and apps to friends or children.
Other social networking services, such as Facebook and Twitter, have also displaced text messaging but require a data plan to use. Instant messaging could be a way to encourage young people to upgrade to more expensive monthly payments.
Bakrie Telecom to invest $200 mn for network expansion (Indonesia)
Bakrie Telecom has decided to invest US$200 million to finance its expansion plans this year, including improving its networks and building new base transceiver stations.
The spending, on the heels of another US$200 million last year, is part of the company’s attempt to invest as much as 550 million in the next five years.
Capital expenditure of USD 200 million this year will be used to expand Esia and AHA. Esia is a service that focuses on voice and text messaging service, while AHA, or Affordable Hyper-speed Access, focuses on data service.
Bakrie Telecom will build at least nineteen new base transceiver stations within the first year in several areas within Indonesia. Mobile operator XL Axiata also expects to use around US$150 million to its total US$500 million investment to improve its 3G-services.
XL Axiata shareholders approve incentive scheme (Indonesia)
XL Axiata’s Shareholders have approved the company’s plan to establish a performance-based long term incentive scheme for employees and management.
Singapore, Malaysia to slash roaming rates
Malaysia and Singapore will be cutting its roaming charges for voice calls and text messaging over the next two years in a landmark accord.
According to Malaysian Information Minister Rais Yatim, the agreement is the first bilateral deal to slash telecommunications roaming charges in Southeast Asia, and is expected to trigger similar pacts within the region.
A statement issued by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, or IDA, stated that roaming charges for voice calls would be reduced by up to 20% starting May 1 this year, with the cut reaching a maximum of 30% starting May 1, 2012. Roaming charges for short messaging services, SMS or text messaging, would come down by up to 30% next month, reaching 50% from May 1 next year.
As per the statement, IDA and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission are currently studying roaming charges for data services, including multimedia services and video calls, and are reviewing the appropriate actions. Rais described the agreement as the first bilateral cooperation to reduce roaming charges within Asean and paves the way for other similar efforts among Asean countries.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or Asean, groups Malaysia and Singapore with Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
The statement quoted Singapore’s Information Minister Lui Tuck Yew as urging regulators from both sides to continue to identify new initiatives to enhance connectivity.
Telecom roaming allows subscribers to use their mobile phones to call when overseas using the network of the domestic operators, but charges are expensive.
Nigeria removes South Africa as Africa’s biggest Opera Mini user
The latest State of the Mobile Web report issued by Opera Software has revealed that Nigeria has removed South Africa as the African country with the highest number of users on the Opera Mini mobile browser.
Nigeria swept aside China and South Africa to finish March as the number five country globally for unique monthly users of Opera Mini, rising from its February position as number seven. Now only Russia, Indonesia, India and Ukraine are ahead of Nigeria in terms of unique monthly users.
Until now, South Africa has maintained the top spot in Africa and consistently held sixth place globally for the highest number of Opera Mini users, in all but five months since the State of the Mobile Web reports began in April 2008.
Nigeria debuted in the top 10 list in March 2009. In the year to March, Nigeria experienced 143.5 percent growth in the number of unique Opera Mini users, compared to 67 percent growth in South Africa. During the same period, South Africa showed higher growth in the number of monthly page views and data transfer (99.5% and 95.5% respectively) compared to Nigeria (87.7% and 80% respectively).
3 Indonesia chooses Jinny Software’s USSD system
Jinny Software, a global supplier of messaging and media systems has deployed its USSD Gateway and Application Server at mobile operator 3 Indonesia.
Jinny’s system will offer a range of services that fall under the categories of Entertainment and Customer Self Care. 3 Indonesia subscribers can navigate through the menus to subscribe to a daily horoscope SMS or a ring back tone for their incoming calls, and they can query and top up their credits or purchase a new broadband bundle.
The Jinny USSD system provides support for dynamic menus which may be determined by the subscriber’s profile or location, accelerated navigation codes enabling users to reach a known sub-menu, advertising insertion in USSD responses and configuration of menus and services.
Newmont Mining deploys Exalt microwave backhaul systems (USA)
Newmont Mining, a gold producer has deployed IP-based wireless backhaul systems provider Exalt Communications’ microwave backhaul systems to support operations at its Phoenix mine near Battle Mountain, Nevada.
This deployment is in addition to other deployments of Exalt systems at Newmont Mining operations in Australia, Ghana, Indonesia and the United States. At the Phoenix mine, Newmont Mining worked with Exalt partner KNS Communications of Denver, Colorado, to plan and install Exalt microwave backhaul systems.
The Exalt systems provide a 200Mbps Ethernet backbone that delivers computer-aided dispatch, traffic management, and inventory tracking information to radio systems on board of each of the trucks, drills, shovels, loaders, and other equipment at the mine.
In addition, the Exalt systems carry video surveillance, IP telephony, power usage monitoring, and other information from mine facilities to the site office, and they also provide a backup link for a fibre connection to another Newmont Mining office 59 miles away in Carlin, Nevada.
Buongiorno inks definitive deal with Dada.net
Buongiorno S.p.A. has signed a definitive agreement to purchase 100% of the shares of Dada.net S.p.A.
The settlement price for the acquisition of Dada.net S.p.A. is equivalent to US$40.52 million, in addition to the consolidated net financial position of Dada.net S.p.A. at the specified closing date.
Through this deal, Buongiorno will reinforce its global leadership as a provider of mobile-connected life solutions, increasing its market share in the B2C segment in several markets, particularly in North America.
The transaction is expected to results in around 150 new employees joining Buongiorno’s team, including Massimilano Pellegrini, Dada.net S.p.A. CEO, who will join Buongiorno’s Executive Team. Buongiorno has undertaken to keep the employment level unchanged for a period of at least 18 months after the closing date, and draw upon the professional competencies and expertise of Dada.net’s employees.
The cash price that Buongiorno will pay to Dada.net S.p.A. will be funded by liquidity and new lines of credit, for which the Company has already obtained the commitment of the financing banks.
The transaction is expected to be closed within 90 days following the signing date.
Dada.net operates in 16 countries: Italy, the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Portugal, Australia, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Hungary, Indonesia, and South Africa.
The acquisition of Dada.net is fully in line with the strategic objectives of Buongiorno, aimed at growing the business through both market share in “traditional” B2C and B2B services, and through new service development, particularly in the smartphone and App Store sectors.
TomTom launches map database globally (Germany)
TomTom has launched its map database globally. TomTom has launched the version 2011.03 of MultiNet that covers nearly 34 million kilometres across 103 countries, extending coverage to 3.3 billion people worldwide.
In Latin America, the street network in Brasilia (Brazil), Grand Cordoba (Argentina) and Los Cabos, Merida and Xalapa (Mexico) have been improved.
Additionally, French Guiana is available as a MultiNet product providing street network coverage. The street network in India was also extended, adding 5,800 km across 66 new cities.
In addition to coverage expansion, over 7,000 km in Brazil and over 5,000 km in Russia were realigned to further validate the street network. Finally, in Africa, topographic features were added in Zambia and improvements to the street network were realized in five major Moroccan cities.
TomTom has also introduces advanced features in its enhancement products. Speed Profiles are available in Brazil, providing historical traffic information. The Address Points product includes coverage in the Czech Republic, India, Indonesia and Malaysia and an additional 500,000 Address Points are available in the United States and 120,000 in Russia. The addition of 50 new 3D Landmarks and more than 100 new Landmark Icons throughout the Asia Pacific region, along with nine new 2D City Maps in Russia extend display capabilities globally. Voice Maps are available in Liechtenstein, allowing speech technology to be integrated into map applications.
Huawei inaugurates technology training center in Indonesia
China’s Huawei has inaugurated a new technology training center in Indonesia’s Bandung. The center is part of Huawei’s ongoing partnership programs with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB).
The partnership between ITB and Huawei was first established since 2009, by providing scholarships, internships and sponsorship programs for ITB students.
According to ITB Dean Professor Ahmaloka, the new center is a continuation of their ongoing partnership with Huawei, which is geared towards providing first-hand learning opportunities for students to understand about developments in technology and telecommunications, including the use of Internet protocol.
The development of STEI ITB Huawei Training Center is part of Huawei’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) program, which is focused on support for the education sector.
According to Huawei Indonesia CEO Li Wenzhi, they believe that it is essential for the young people to be equipped with applicable knowledge. Thus, the education sector has become our main CSR focus this year. They will continue to partner with the ITB and other universities in Indonesia in implementing our CSR programme.
